DOING GOOD THINGS
Read:
Ephesians 2:10
Development:
Look brothers how well placed the "works" are in the place where they should be placed. Neither you nor I can get anything from God no matter how hard we try. We never deserve anything other than being judged by the hand of God.
If He gave us what we deserve, surely the entire human race would end up in hell.
But, No, we receive His grace, His mercy and His love. But these result in good works; that is the purpose of our lives. We have been designed to produce good works, and it is a wonderful manifestation of God's ability.
The word spell means poem, that is, "We are His poem." Perhaps the best way to express it would be to say: "We are His masterpiece."
God is prepared and waiting to work in us, so that we may be a great display of His wisdom, His power, His love, His life, His character, His peace, His joy.
He is teaching us, he is training us, he is encouraging us.
Applying his paint in appropriate places, producing a wonderful work of art to display. This should result in good works: kindness, love, mercy, compassion, helping each other and meeting each other's needs.
But Paul tells us that God has prepared these things in advance. And it clearly says that we only give thanks well it doesn't say it but it's understandable, do you have any vague idea about how many good works God has prepared for you?
God expects us to decide to walk in them, by walking by faith, always depending on Christ.
The situations are already there, ready and waiting for you to jump right into them. This is what God has called us for. And we, by responding, become a living manifestation of his greatness and glory.
I reflect and respond
1. What has God created for us to do?
2. Make a list of some good works that you could do.
Read:
1 Peter 4:8-11
Development
What it says above all things is:
8 - And above all, have fervent love among yourselves; because love will cover a multitude of sins
God has created each of us for a specific purpose. Firstly, that purpose is to give honor to Him, and one way to do it is by attending to the needs of others. Before continuing I want to emphasize something, you are not here by chance but according to what Psalm 139 says that before we were born, all the days of our lives were already written in God's book. Before He formed us, God wrote them down, and not a single one of them was missing.
We praise God because his works are formidable, because everything he does is wonderful. "Even when things don't seem to make sense, God still has a purpose for your life."
9 - Host each other without grumbling
We honor Christ by giving Him the best room, which is our heart. And also offering good hospitality to others. “To know love is to open our hearts to Jesus… and to show love is to open our hearts to others”.
10 - Each one, according to the gift he has received, minister it to others, as good stewards of God's multifaceted grace.
11 - If anyone speaks, speak according to the words of God; If anyone ministers, minister according to the power that God gives, so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom glory and empire belong forever and ever. Amen.
Every believer, in every church in the world, has received at least one spiritual gift from God, for the use of the church. Within the Body of Christ, love for one another finds its expression in the use of spiritual gifts, not to exalt ourselves, or as a way to attract the attention of others, but for the benefit of all. Therefore, every Christian is capable of ministering to others within the Body of Christ. The word "gift" literally means "a gift of grace."
When Christians receive God's grace in this way, they have a responsibility to share this gift with other Christians.
In this passage we can divide the many gifts of grace into two broad categories: Speaking and Serving. Speaking includes not only preaching and teaching, but many other gifts, such as evangelism, speaking in tongues (Not Glossalia), giving encouragement and encouragement, and leadership. (I do not include the gift of prophecy since John was the last prophet)
Serving includes any type of ministry of assistance and encouragement, which is directly focused on the benefit of others within the body of Christ, such as contributing to the needs of others, healing.
We believers must take these gifts very seriously, and exercise them with an attitude of dependence on God (sticking to God's words and working through his power).
When the gifts of grace are applied in this way, the believer's attention and praise go to God, who is the one who has gifted the believer (1 Corinthians 4:7).
Reflect and Respond
1. How does love cover a multitude of sins?
2. Have you been offering hospitality to other disciples?
3. How can you improve on this?
4. What do you think God wants you to give to others?
Read
Galatians 6:1-10
Development:
Probably, not that I actually say, the Christian's worst enemy is not Satan, but worse is time. Human beings have a marked and sad capacity to get tired of wonderful things. Almost all of you will remember something that has excited you recently, however that joy is gone. For example: millionaires get tired of money, children get tired of toys and Christians get tired of doing good.
At first the emotion was strong but now they are tired of doing good things. They no longer feel that emotion, now they are tired of doing good. The inner energy and joy vanished. It seems like a chore to them. They feel discouraged.
But we must not forget that we must not stop offering the fruits of love, because if we do, the works of the flesh take control of our lives and remember what the Apostle Paul says in (Galatians 5:21; 6:8) . These issues will seem strange to many to assimilate but let these concepts enter your minds and analyze them. What is at stake here is not only eternal life or sanctification, but final salvation.
In a way, whether we go to heaven or hell depends to a great extent on whether we get tired of doing good, and give way to the works of the flesh. And yes, brothers, this text is especially addressed to the Churches of the whole world.
Pay attention to these few lines from verse 9. “So let us not grow weary of doing good; because in due time we will reap, if we do not faint."
We will reap eternal life if we comply and sow for the Spirit, tremendous, that is, if we do not get tired of doing good. We will inherit heaven and eternal salvation, I can also say that this text to me in my role as pastor and as a teacher to do good by bringing you fresh word, is not only a means for your sanctification, but also a means for your Salvation and mine This text was written to lead the people of Galatia to final salvation, but it transcends the barriers of time and has not come down to us as a revelation.
Based on the above, “we find that the ministry of a pastor is limited to the condition of the believer and not to his position. Therefore, our security and rescue from the penal consequences of sin have no relation to the preaching of a pastor” In opposition to that extremely general preaching criterion, I ask you to reflect on (Galatians 6:8 - 9)
As their pastor and teacher I ask myself these questions: Should I communicate Paul's message to them? Should I speak to them in the same way that Paul spoke to everyone? Is not the "corruption" mentioned in verse 8 the consequence of the final punishment for sin? Is the “eternal life” expressed in verse 8 the liberation from the consequences of sin?
According to our experience, don't these two things depend on what we sow in the Spirit and on our not getting tired of doing good? And if this were so, shouldn't a pastor believe that his message can be a divinely appointed means, so that the children of God persevere in doing good to the end and thus inherit eternal life?
My objective with this course and in this life is to be a faithful teacher of the Word of God, for the good of all his people and for the glory of his name. But for this I cannot be a faithful teacher if I do not tell you that if you get tired of doing good and get discouraged, you will not reap eternal life. That if they abandon sowing in the Spirit and dedicate themselves to depending on the flesh, they will reap corruption. (Romans 8:13).
Now here also arises a question that is highly questioned in all the churches, but in order to understand it we must continue with the thought that the Apostle Paul carries forward, let's look at verse 2,
"Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ."
One of the ways to bear the burdens of those who have the enormous responsibility of teaching in the church is to support them financially so that they can relax and devote themselves to prayer and study. Obviously, there was something wrong with this in Galacia. And that's why Paul was making mention of this.
Perhaps they had a good start and then they got tired of doing good, the good of supporting the elders who dedicated themselves to teaching in the church. Perhaps some argued that they were free in Christ and could use the money for other things. “Anyway, who needs to be teaching? We know that the reality of today is quite different from that of then or perhaps not, perhaps it was the same. There is not much money, these are difficult times”.
We do not know for sure what the people of those times were saying, but we do know one thing that of all the burdens that Paul could have mentioned, he chose to speak of the material burden of those who teach the Word of God.
The Apostle Paul learned this principle from Jesus himself, when he sent the 70 to preach and told them not to take their own food, because the worker is worthy of his salary 1 Timothy 5:17-18, therefore the worker of God is worthy of receiving what people give him. Probably the closest parallel we will find to Galatians 6 is (1 Corinthians 9:11)
In short, brothers, let's not get tired of doing good, never, never get tired.
In Galatians 6:6 we can see four consequences that I want to mention briefly.
The first:
Teaching the Word of God is essential in the church. We cannot know the Lord as we should if we do not have a solid teaching. Unfortunately, in today's churches this has become a nuisance. Teaching the word is considered unnecessary by many, since they believe that what the pastor says from the pulpit must reach the people, and thus they do not allow the spiritual development of faithful.
The second:
“Those who have the important responsibility of teaching the word of God need the freedom to study, meditate and pray. To investigate the meaning of the Biblical texts and discover the relationship of these meanings with the totality of the given revelation considering how they relate to present life”
And if it takes a long time to study to prepare the sermons and classes, usually on weekdays from 7:00 p.m. until almost midnight, I am focused on it and on weekends, Saturdays and Sundays, almost all day, of course there are moments in which I stop for a while, but sincerely I am very grateful to God who allows me to do it and who gives me the understanding I need to be able to carry out this task.
Third:
"It is known that teachers and pastors have to be paid so that they do not have to work in secular activities to support themselves and so that they can dedicate themselves fully to the study of the word of God"
Some, like the Apostle Paul or like Alfredo and I, renounce this right that we have as Teachers and Pastors, but those who are taught the Word have to know it and they have to feel willing to relieve their teachers and pastors financially.
The fourth
When you contribute your money for the maintenance of the teaching ministry, you are fulfilling the law of Christ, according to what the Apostle Paul mentions in verse 2 (help support the burdens of the teachers) and you should not get tired to do good according to verse 9 (Let us not get tired of doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not faint) but you are preparing for eternal life. When the Apostle Paul mentions, in verses 9 and 10, that we should not get tired of doing good and that we have an obligation to do good with everyone, especially with those in the family of faith, what the Apostle Paul _cc781905 -5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_has in mind, at a minimum, is that we all use our money to support those who teach the Word of God.
Verse 7 the Apostle Paul reinforces the mandate of verse 6: “Do not be deceived, no one mocks God; for whatever man sows, that too he will reap."
Evidently the people who did not want to share their property with their teachers in the churches had been victims of some deception as is the case today and were mocking God with their actions. But the reality is that the word of God is one and never changes, perhaps when these people went through what they went through, they said things like, if God owns the world's gold, why does he want your ticket? The reality is that God does not need it, but who needs it is the work of God that is carried out by men. So, these brothers in the name of their freedom have begun to satisfy the desires of their flesh, completely contrary to the warning from Galatians 5:13 And what is worse, they are treating the Word of God with contempt. And that is a tremendous mockery for God, when his messengers are despised (2 Chronicles 36:15-16).
The text says: "No one mocks God." What does it mean? Well, exactly the same as when a father tells his son: "You don't have to talk to me in that tone!" In other words, that child is going to deeply regret having spoken to his father like that. Or as the Apostle Paul says, you will reap what you sow.
"No one makes fun of God" means: If you despise his Word, you will deeply repent. Paul tells us: "Do not be deceived." There is always a period between planting and harvesting. They can deceive themselves for a while but sooner or later they will realize their mistake, believing that sowing selfishness will produce joy. But they are totally wrong. "No one makes fun of God!" Indifference to his Word and the use of funds, which should be for God, on personal whims, will turn against you like an avalanche of unwanted events-
Let's look at these examples (2 Kings 5:25-27; Acts 5:1-11)
Paul tells us in verses 6 and 7: We honor God and his Word when we contribute our money for the ministry of the Word (in our country or beyond the borders) instead of using it for our comfort, security and prestige. But if we deceive ourselves and think that we will be happier spending the money on our private pleasures, then we are mocking God, and our greed will crash against us and we will reap what we have sown.
Finally in verse 8 the Apostle Paul. It clarifies what is really at stake, and gives us the hope we need, but it also tells us that he who sows for his own flesh will reap corruption. But he who sows to the spirit will reap eternal life.
That is what is at stake, eternal life and that is at stake because of our attitude towards the teaching of the word of God, and the use of our goods.
Perhaps for some, this is shocking, but it is so, it is not our invention, it is written, some even think that this is a return to salvation by works, the same that Paul demolished, but it is not.
Works are the attitudes and actions of a heart that looks to itself, to the achievement of virtue or contentment, and expects to be considered for that achievement, but the reality is that no one can be saved by such works.
But love is not one of the works of the flesh, but is the fruit of the spirit, we are not teaching salvation by works, when we say that to enter final salvation, we must bear the fruit of the spirit. What we are saying is nothing more than what the Apostle Paul said in (Romans 8:14)
The simple and genuine conversion is not a simple human act of calling only Christ our Lord or Savior (Matthew 7:21-23), the genuine conversion is a divine act, by which a human being, that is, we, allow the holy spirit dwell in us, the same that makes us hate sin and love righteousness. (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6; Ezekiel 36:27)
When we convert we must learn to have confidence in Jesus, and we must also learn to listen to the gospels, we are moved to abandon sin and put our faith in Christ to be forgiven and begin to walk by faith in his promises and his power, there are attitudes towards money and towards the teaching of the word of God that cannot coexist with true faith in the sufficiency of Christ. That is why the Apostle Paul says that although salvation is by grace through faith, there are still attitudes and acts that can destroy us.
The hope that Paul speaks of in verse 8 is that we can only enjoy eternal life if we sow to the spirit. What does this mean? Good means that the spirit is the field where we work in which we hope to produce a good harvest, that is why we put all our attention in the spirit, for example when we wake up in the morning, or in the afternoon, in our jobs, with friends, family or even going up the stairs, or driving home, and we feel that we do not have enough time to seek more of his presence than his fullness, do not worry with a prayer sometimes it is enough.
When we receive our wages, salaries, or paychecks, has anyone ever wondered, do we look to the spirit to know how to give it the best benefit for the kingdom of God, or do we only invest in the field of the flesh, for our own private use?
Sowing for the spirit means recognizing where the spirit is pointing to produce exquisite fruit, sowing for the spirit means maintaining the work of God, no matter where you congregate, no matter what the pastor or teacher does with what you give The important thing is that you know with the mandate of the Lord. So dear brothers, do not get tired of doing good, wherever you gather, do not stop helping the work of God.
And this is something that I always say, God does not need our money, but the pastors who lead the congregations do, since the air conditioning to stay cool in summer has costs, the gas to stay warm in winter has costs, the instruments to adore God, they have an expense and everything has an expense, which the Pastor alone cannot afford. That is where the urgency and the need for us to help in the work of God with our money comes in. But hey, that's up to each individual. The only thing we know is that the Lord told us that if we did this, he would multiply us until we have more than enough. That is why, brothers, let us not get tired of doing good, because in due time we will reap what we have sown, if we do not get tired.
I reflect and respond
1 - Who does God want us to help?
2 - Who in your Bible Talk has needs right now that you can help with?
Send your answer to the following E-mail: